Weapon transfer dolly latch mechanism



Feb. 23, 1965 4 e. w. GILBERT 3,170,532

WEAPON TRANSFER DOLLY LATCH MECHANISM Original Filed Dec. 29. 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR George W Gilbert BY MW ATTORNEY v Feb. 23, 1965 e. w. GILBERT 3,170,582

WEAPON TRANSFER DOLLY LATCH MECHANISM Original Filed Dec. 29. 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet -2 Feb. 23, 1965 e. w. GILBERT 3,170,582

wm on TRANSFER DOLLY men MECHANISM Original Filed Dec. 29. 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet a Feb. 23, 1965 c;- w. GILBERT 3,170,582

WEAPON TRANSFER DOLLY LATCH MECHANISM Original Filed Dec. 29. 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 ir 26 w United States PatentO r 3,170,582 WEAPON TRANSFER DOLLY LATCH MECHANISM George W. Gilbert, Kensington, Md, assignorio the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy Original application Dec. 29, 1960, Ser. No. 79,475, now

Patent No. 3,095,212, dated June 25, 1963. Divided and this application June 18, 1963, Ser. No. 288,846

Claims. (Cl. 214-394) This application is a division of copending application of George W. Gilbert for a Weapon Transfer Dolly, Serial No. 79,475, filed December 29, 1960, and now Patent No. 3,095,212 issued June 25, 1963.

The present invention relates to a transfer dolly and more particularly to means for releasably locking missile handling devices to the transfer dolly during transfer and handling operations. More specifically, the invention pertains to new and improved latches carried by the dolly for releasably locking handling devices to the dolly such, for example, as the type of handling devices disclosed and claimed in the Patent No. 3,069,026, filed January 30, 1962, by R. R. Aluise et al. for Handling Attachment. The latch means further locks and maintains the aforesaid handling devices in locking engagement with the missiles or missile components, as the case may be, during the entire transfer operation, including transfer of the handling devices and missiles or components to the conventiDnal elevator operating in the strikedown hatch, whereupon the missiles or components are moved from a, position above deck to a position below deck and into the stowage magazine.

An object of the invention is to provide new and improved latch devices for use with material handling devices. I

Another object of the invention is to provide novel latching means for releasably locking missile supporting and receiving'means on a mobile dolly.

Still another object of the invention is to provide latching means for releasably attaching a missile handling device to a wheeled structure.

A still further object of the invention is to provide latch devices for quickly attaching and looking a missile support to amobile dolly.

A still further object of the invention is to provide latch devices for releasably supporting missile handling devices on a dolly and maintaining the handling devices in locking engagement with the missile during transportation. 7

Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a missile dolly illustrating the latches of the present inventionin connection therewith;

FIG. 2 is a view in side elevation of the dolly and y the latches of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially on the line 3-3 of FIG. 1, illustrating the latches and one of the load supporting structures supported thereby;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged top plan view of the latches and the supporting yoke therefor;

FIG. 5 is a view in elevation of the assembly of FIG.

' Referring now to the drawings and more particularly to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2' thereof, the numeral indicates generally a wheeled missile handling. dolly comprising spaced side frames 11 having upper and lower rails 12 and 13, the ends of the rails 12 and 13 being connected by semi-circular end rails 14 and 15. The dolly further includes a pair ofyokes 16 and 17 extending transverse-- ly of the dolly and attached to rails 13 by pedestals 18 and shear blocks 19, as best shown: in FIG. 3.

According to the present invention the yokes. 16 and 17 each carry a pair of latches indicated generally by the numeral 21, the latches being identical in structure, and for this reason a description of one will suffice for all the latches. Eachlatch includes-a bracket,:22, as best shown on FIGS. 6 and 7, the bracket being adjustably secured to the yokes 16 and 17 by a bolt 23 provided with a pairof downwardly extending-arms 22'. A latch member 24, is pivotally connected to the arms 22' by a link 25, FIGS. 5 and 6. AS'bCSll shown on FIG. 5, the latch 24 includes spaced parallel legs or members between the lower ends of which is pivotally mounted the outer end of a pin 26. Anactuating rod or handle 27, FIGS. 4, 5 and 6, extends through the upper end of the legs 28 of the latch member 24, and a keeper 29, pivoted to the body 22, is engageable with the handle rod 27, between the legs 23 for normally retaining the same in engaged position. A set'screw 44 having a projecting tip atits upper end is provided for threadably engaging the threaded bore 43 in bracket 22 to permit positive locking of keeper 29 when desired.

The latches 21 on yokes 16 and 17 releasably support load supporting structures on the dolly, the structures being adapted to support missile components beneathyokes 16 and 17 and between the dolly side frames 11, to

facilitate transportation of the missiles or transfer thereof from the dolly to the conventional stowage elevator such, for example, as the type shown in the aforesaid patent, No. 3,069,026. The handling devices, as best shown on FIG. 3, are indicated generally by the numeral 31 and include three connected sections 32, 33 and 34, that engage and surround the 'missileand are retained in operative position by a cable 35. j r

It will be noted in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 that the latches are mounted on-yokes 16 and 17 in mutually spaced relationship to releasably support the structures 31 and thus the missile component, to the dolly, which component is 1 indicated in outline at 36 in FIG. 3. The devices 31 Adjustmentof the latches :22 has been provided for V by the mounting afforded-by the bolts 23. i More particularly, it has been found that the openings 37 in sec- 4, illustrating a fragmentary portion of the load supportvting structure of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially on the line 6-6 of FIG. 5; and y 7 FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 7-7 of FIG. 6.

tions 32 and 34 of the devices-31 do not always align with the pins 26 of the latches, because of difierences" in adjustment cable 35. Such differences in adjustment can be accomplished by loosening the bolts 23, swinging the latches to align the pins 26 thereof with the openings in the aforesaid sections 32 and 34 of the devices 31 and thereafter tightening the bolts. 3

It will be'noted more clearly in FIG. 5 that to prevent excess swinging movement of the devices 31, stops 38 are provided. These stops comprise spaced, parallel, connected, fiat strips that straddle the lower corners of yokes 16 and 17 and which are pivotally connected thereto, as by pins 39. The stops are provided with detents 41 engageable with projections 42 carried at the lowermost portions of yokes 16 and 17, as best shown on FIG. 5.

When it is desired to release the latch, the keeper 29 is lifted out of engagement with the rod 27, whereupon the rod is pulled in an outward direction and thus the pin 3,179,582 Patented Feb. 23, 1965" 26"is' disengaged from opening 37 in device Shit being understood that release of both of the latches on each of the yokes 16; and 17 will permit disengagement of the structures and the missile' 'components supported thereby from the' yokes for attachment to the aforementioned:

elevator and delivery to a stowagemagazine.

Obviously, many modifications and variations of the. present invention "are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that Within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimedis: 1'. A device for securing a load toa transportingvehide-comprising, in combination,

, a vehicle frame, I supports carried'by said frame,

loadsupporting structures'releasably supported on said supports,

' bracket-means secured to said supports,

keeper means pivotally mounted on the bracket meansin engagement with said latches for maintaining the latches in a normally locked condition, j pin means carried by the latches'inengagement with said load supporting structures for releasably supportingthe'structures on said supports, and

actuating rods carried by'said latches for actuating the latches to disengage the pin means from the load supporting structures.

'2. A device for securing a load to a transporting ve-.

hicle comprising in combination a vehicle frame,

supports carried by said frame,

load supporting structures releasably mounted on; said supports and having aperture means formed therein,-

7 bracket means adjustably mounted on said supports,

bolt-means'coopcrating with the supports and the bracket means for: adjustably mounting the bracket means- 1 tosaid supports,

.normallylocked latch means pivotally mounted on said bracket means, link means-pivotally connected to said bracket means and to said latch means for pivotally mounting said latch means on the bracket means, pin means carriedand pivotally connected to the latches and'normally disposed in the aperture in the load supporting structures for releasably' supporting the I entire weight of the structures on the supports,

handle rods" carried by said latches tor actuating the.

latches to disengage the pin means from said apertures means thereby torelease the load supporting structures,

a locking arm pivotally mounted at one end to said bracket means and having 'the other end thereof in locking engagement with the-handle rods for main-- taining the latch means normally locked, detent lockedstop means pivotally mounted on the supports in engagement With'said loadsupporting structure for preventing excess movement of the structures during transportation, 1 and setscrew locking means carried by said bracket means for normally engaging said locking arm to thereby maintain said arm in locked engagement With 10 said handle rods} a 1 1 3. A device for securing a load to a transportation ve hicle, as recited in claim 1, and further including:

stop means pivotally. mounted/to said suports adjacent said load supporting structures for preventing excess swinging thereof, said stop means being provided with detent locked-release means whereby said stop means can be pivoted to a position wherein it does not interfere with the release ofsaid load supporting 7 structures. 7 g 4. A device forsecurin'g a load to a transportation vehicle, as recited in claim 1, and further including:

set screw locking means disposed-within a threaded bore in said bracket means forrnormally engaging said keeper means, thereby maintainingsaid keeper means in locked engagement wtih said latches.

5. A bracket mounted latch mechanism for releasably supporting a structure adapted to be latched thereto comprising: 1 I

a pair of downwardly extending arms secured at their upper ends to said bracket; k

link means pivotally mountedon the lowerends of said arms;

latch means pivotally mounted to said link means for Y pivotal movement against said armsj; keeper meanspivotally mountedto said bracket for maintaining said latch means in anormally latched position;

set' screw locking means. disposed in said' bracket for normally locking said keeper means against said 40 llatchmeans;and 7 pin means pivotally mounted on said link means for,

References tliteiiby the'E xaminer UNITEDSTATES PATENTS -'130,483 8/72. Cohen 292 1s3 X 269,963 1/83 Scanlan r 292 -143 1,118,768 11/14 Helgeson 292-139 1,223,389 4/17 Hynes 292 .210 X 3,826,443 3/58 Hollansworth 292 139 3,069,026 12/ 62, Aluise HUGO SCHULZ, Primary Examiner. 

1. A DEVICE FOR SECURING A LOAD TO A TRANSPORTING VEHICLE COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A VEHICLE FRAME, SUPPORTS CARRIED BY SAID FRAME, LOADS SUPPORTINGS STRUCTURES RELEASABLY SUPPORTED ON SAID SUPPORTS, BRACKET MEANS SECURED TO SAID SUPPORTS, BOLT MEANS FOR ADJUSTABLY SECURING SAID BRACKET MEANS TO SAID SUPPORT, NORMALLY LOCKED LATCHES PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON SAID BRACKETS MEANS, LINK MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID BRACKET MEANS AND SAID LATCHES FOR PIVOTALLY MOUNTING THE LATCHES, KEEPER MEANS PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON THE BRACKET MEANS 